I Still Love Him
by JMolover13
Summary: Emma finds Ruby still at Graham's grave. She realizes that all she can do is sit and listen... and try to get her to eat.


They put him in the ground. Everyone had left except for her. She stayed and sat on the dirt that covered him for six feet. She sat in front of his tombstone.

She had tears running down her face, "I loved you, you know." She said as she picked a handful of dirt and let it run through her fingers, "I loved you so damn much…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Six years before, she and Graham were the talk of the town. They were really going to be the couple that got out of there. Graham walked into the diner on a slow afternoon with a grin on his face.

Ruby gave him a big smile as she rushed over to him and kissed him, "We're really going to do this?"

He nodded, "Yeah. We're really going to do this." He pulled from her, "I got you something… for your car." He held up the glass figurine of—

"A wolf!" She grinned, "That's our animal." She hugged him once more, "This is going on the rearview immediately." She let her hand run along his torso as she went outside to her car and leaned in to put the wolf figurine in place.

As she did this, Granny walked in from the kitchen and watched her alongside Graham, "You two are leaving tonight?" She asked without looking at him.

Graham didn't answer until Ruby stood back up from her car, "Yes ma'am."

Granny started breathing harder and rubbed her left arm with her right hand, "You do me a favor?"

Graham turned to her with knit brows, "Gran, are you alright?"

"Fine. Healthier than an ox!" She grit through her teeth, "You listen to me, right now! You take care of her! I'm not gonna be around forever."

"Gran?" Ruby asked concerned.

Gran turned to Ruby, "Ruby, you… You let him take care of you…" She collapsed.

"Gran!" Ruby ran over to her.

Graham took his walkie from his belt and got an ambulance to come to the diner.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Ruby stared at the letters of the word 'sheriff' on his tombstone, "Why did you have to die of the very thing that Granny came back from with more fight and punch than anyone ever in the whole world? Why didn't you come back?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Ruby refused to leave without knowing that Granny was alright. That she was going to be fine. The entire town had come to pay their respects.

When Graham saw Regina get off the elevator he excused himself, "What did you do?" He asked her as he pushed her into a supply closet.

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"You told me that if I left then something bad would happen—but this? How did you do it?"

Regina smirked, "I'm more powerful than you'll ever know, do you understand me?"

Graham flared his nostrils and grit his teeth.

"And now that you are realizing this, here's what's going to happen. You are my pet. You come to me when I want. You come to me where I want. And you come to me how I want. You are single as of Gran's recovery. You and Ruby… you're no more." She pushed him against the door, "Don't you get it, Sheriff? You're my pet. You have no say over anything…. and you sure as hell are not leaving Storybrooke." She kissed him hard before she pushed him aside and walked out.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Ruby sat there a bit longer, "I loved you… and you just left me… And now you left me forever… I don't know what I'm supposed to do without you."

"I know I'm still new in town, but I like to think that I knew him… He wouldn't want you to do this to yourself…"

"I need to do this, Emma."

"Ruby, it's been two days that you've been out here." Emma walked up behind her and sat down, pulling her into her hold, "At least drink something and eat something for me…" She handed Ruby a water bottle and a PB&J, "I need you to do this. Graham… he needs you to do this."

"Why?"

"Because without you, how will the town function? How will Gran function? The town.. it can go on without him… You can move on, but if you give up… Then Ruby, there is no hope for the rest of us…"

"Why are you so nice and sure?"

"Because you and Mary Margaret and Henry are the only family I've ever known… I can't… I can't handle it if you give up. So just… don't."

Ruby stared at his tombstone a bit longer, "He wouldn't like it if I were like this…" She said as she opened the water bottle and took a sip.

Emma shook her head, "No… he wouldn't."

"We were in love once, you know." Ruby looked at the blonde girl holding her.

"I think you still were, but life gave you guys too many complications…"

"And now he's gone…" Ruby nodded, "And I'm never going to have another chance."

Emma couldn't say anything encouraging, because Ruby was right… she was never going to have another chance with him.

"I still love him."

Emma nodded and moved to stand up.

"Not yet…" The brunette shook her head, "I'm not ready to leave yet. Five more minutes. Let me stay with him for five more minutes."

Emma plopped back down and pushed the water to Ruby's lips.

"I just… I still love him…"


End file.
